Hungover in a Hotel Room
by whiskeytracks
Summary: Dancin' in the dark, body killin' me, throwin' sparks...spent the whole night last night all messed up, making love...


I really stepped out of my comfort zone for this one-shot. I'm not against writing smut, obviously, but it's admittedly not my favorite thing in the world to write. I love reading it, but writing it requires me to be a very specific mindset. One, in which, doesn't visit me often. It makes me feel very exposed and there are so many things that can go wrong when writing it. So to be frank, I was terrified to post this, because this is probably the most smuttiest thing I have ever written. It actually took everything in me to post it. Hopefully, I don't panic and end up deleting it.

Just a little back story, it's set between S6 and S7. It's also loosely based on the song "Hungover in a Hotel Room" (hence the title). There are very tiny details of this that are AU and that's mostly because I don't know shit about basketball, whoopsie. Also, shout out to Mel and Melissa for encouraging me to post this!

* * *

"What's your poison? Beer? Whiskey? Crystal Lite?" Tony Battle teased, sliding into one of the bar stools and waving his hand to signal the bartender.

Nathan Scott huffed loudly as he claimed the seat next to Tony. "I would rather not be here. I would rather be in my hotel room, talking to Haley. You remember her, don't you? My _wife._ "

Tony rolled his eyes and mouthed 'two beers' at the bartender. "Dude, you are such a diva. Your wife is one of the coolest chicks that I've ever met. I don't think she minds you skipping your nightly phone call to have a celebratory beer. Besides, it's not like you didn't call her eight other times today."

Nathan narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "It was only twice."

Tony howled with laughter at the pout on Nathan's face. Thanking the bartender as he placed two bottles of beer in front of him, Tony slid the bottle to Nathan over the slick counter top. "You are _sooo_ whipped."

Nathan sighed in aggravation as he dropped his elbows onto the bar. He wrapped his fingers around the beer bottle and smoothed them over the small droplets of condensation slipping down the amber surface. "You won't understand what it's like until you get married and have kids. Being away from Haley and Jamie…it's so damn hard. Those phone calls are what keep me going."

Making it to the NBA had always been Nathan's dream, practically from the moment he was born. It hadn't been an easy journey, getting to the where he was now. He'd come close to losing his dream so many times and had been on brink of giving up way too many times to count. Long and tiresome hours were spent in the gym. Sweat, aching muscles, blood, and even tears became a part of his everyday life.

Luckily, all of his hard work and determination eventually paid off. Getting the news that he had been called up to the Charlotte Bobcats had been one of the best days of Nathan's life. The air he was breathing felt cleaner and the sun beating down on his skin seemed warmer. There were a lot of things in his life that he wasn't proud of, but reaching his dream wasn't one of them.

However, absolutely nothing could have prepared him for the pain he experienced whenever he had to leave his wife and son behind. Every time he packed his bag, he could see the sadness hiding behind the excitement in Jamie's eyes. Every time he kissed Haley goodbye, he could feel the desperation in the way her fingers clutched onto his shirt.

He loved his job. He loved playing the game. He loved traveling to new arenas and hearing the roar of the different crowds. It was sliding between cold and lonely sheets after the game had ended that got to him the most. Not being able to hear Jamie laugh as he read him a bed time story and not being able to hold Haley as they winded down from the day made it that much harder to sleep at night.

That's why he made it a point to call Haley and Jamie every night after an away game. It lessened the weight of missing them in his heart. Tonight, was different, though. Tony, one of his overly _zealous_ teammates, dragged him to some bar inside of their hotel. Nathan protested plenty, but Tony was relentless, preaching about how their large win over the Chicago Bulls couldn't go without being celebrated.

Eventually, Nathan agreed just to shut him up.

Tony knocked shoulders with Nathan and shot him a small smile. "I'm just messin' with you. I think it's nice that you're such a family man. A lot of these guys get caught up in this lifestyle and turn into washed up and money hungry athletes after only one season."

Nathan took a small sip of his beer and huffed bitterly. "It's not what it's all cracked up to be, trust me."

"Hey, now, not all of us had in made in high school, like you did. Some of us still gotta sew our oats," Tony teased, bringing the beer bottle up to his lips. He tossed a wink over the neck of the bottle.

"Overrated," Nathan grumbled. As far as he was concerned being home with his wife and son was far more satisfying than partying with nameless girls and booze.

"Man, hanging around you sucks," Tony suddenly whined, downing the rest of his beer.

Nathan's forehead crinkled in confusion. "What? You were just commending me for being a 'family man' and now, you're—"

"I'm not bitchin' about you being boring. I'm bitchin', because you have a little fan club forming over there," Tony complained, jutting his chin to space behind Nathan. "Screw you, you sexy bastard."

Nathan glanced over his shoulder and groaned when he saw what Tony was talking about. A group of three indecently dressed women were huddled at a table in the corner with their gazes locked on him. The lighting in the bar was dim, but he could still see the way they were fluttering their eyelashes at him over the umbrellas in their overpriced drinks and whispering heatedly to each other.

Swiveling back around, Nathan slouched in his seat. "That is one thing I can honestly say that I absolutely hate about what I do."

"Eh, it doesn't suck _that_ bad."

Nathan rolled his eyes. That was something that he found himself doing a lot around Tony. "I don't know why I continue to hang out with you."

"Because, I'm just so damn handsome that you can't deny yourself the pleasure of hanging out with me."

Sliding off the bar stool, Nathan smirked and clapped a hand over Tony's shoulder. "Whatever helps you sleep at night. Hey, look, I'm gonna run to the bathroom and when I get back, one of those girls better not be sitting in my seat. My wingman skills can only help you so much."

Tony scowled and brushed Nathan's hand away. "Now, that's just downright rude."

Laughing, Nathan headed towards the bathroom, all the while avoiding the unwarranted gawking and flirtatious smiles from women. It irritated him to no end that some women he came across had no respect for themselves or for the ring that he wore on his left hand. He kept his personal life as private as he possibly could, but he never once hid the fact that he was happily married.

Weaving his way through the crowd of dancing bodies, he finally spotted the neon sign that pointed towards the bathrooms. Everything was running without a hitch, until he started to make his way back to the bar.

Nathan was startled when he felt two arms snake around his waist, under the leather jacket he was wearing. A pair of hands disappeared beneath the hem of his white t-shirt and her blunt nails scratched over the muscles cut into his stomach. He'd known some of the women he encountered to be quite daring, but none of them were ever _t_ _hat_ daring. Outrage surged through him and he was just about to tell the woman off when he heard a voice that made his heart race.

"You looked pretty hot out on that court tonight."

Nathan whipped around and wasted no time pulling her into a deep kiss. His previous aggravation was forgotten. She laughed against his lips—a sound that made him feel at home. She gripped the open ends of his jacket and pulled him closer, earning a low groan to emit from his throat. All thought of where they were or who was around didn't seem to matter.

When they broke apart, he ran the rough pad of his callused against the smooth curve of her cheek. He hadn't seen her in almost two weeks—the longest two weeks of his life— and he still had a few more days left of the road trip. Seeing her now…it was the best surprise. His heavy heart and sour mood completely evaporated.

"I've missed you so much."

Haley smiled at him with sparkling eyes and smoothed her hands down his jacket. "Not as much as I've missed you."

"I don't know about that," Nathan chuckled. "What are you even doing in Chicago? Am I dreaming?"

Haley laughed and he swore he never heard a more beautiful sound.

"Well, it's your longest road trip of the season and I thought I would come surprise you. Is that okay?" She asked, biting her lip and glancing up at him through her thick eyelashes.

"It's more than okay," Nathan murmured as he dropped his hands to her waist. "Where'd you stash the boy?"

"Brooke has him. He told me to tell you that he loves you and misses you."

Nathan smiled at that.

Her lips, glossed in red, then curved into a smirk that eerily mirrored his own. Sliding her hands around his waist, she slipped her hands into the back pocket of his jeans. "You know, there sure are a lot of women in this bar, begging for your attention, Nathan Scott."

Nathan laced his fingers together at the base of her spine and brushed his lips against hers. "Yeah, well, there's only one girl who gets my attention."

Haley's cheeks tinted pink. "You and your smooth lines."

It was Nathan's turn to smirk. "The fact that I can still make you blush is such a turn on."

Haley rolled her eyes good naturedly, but the blush on her cheeks deepened. Stepping away from him, she grabbed his hand and started yanking him back towards the bar. "Down boy. I need to thank Tony for helping me surprise you and then we'll see about you possibly getting lucky."

"Baby, you can't tease me like—wait, what did you just say about Tony?"

Nathan never did hear the answer to his question. As soon as Haley stepped into the dimly lit area of the bar, he swore his jaw came unhinged. He hadn't taken notice of what she was wearing in the dark corners of the bar, but now that he had he was rendered speechless.

The wine-colored dress she was wearing was a lot shorter than something Haley would normally wear, while maintaining a classy quality. The long sleeves were made up of lace and seemed to be dusted with a light glitter. The fabric hugged every single one of her curves and left her lean legs on display in a pair of black heels. Her dark hair was left in its natural curls and a light dusting of make-up covered her face.

He really did have the sexiest wife.

"Jesus Christ," Nathan breathed out, stopping dead in his tracks.

Haley twirled to face him. The innocent gleam in her eyes only served to drive him crazier. "What?"

He struggled to swallow with his now-dry throat. "You look…wow."

"You like it?" Haley asked. She scrunched up her nose and glanced down at her dress. "You don't think it's too…not me?"

Nathan frowned a little at her obvious nervousness about the dress. He knew that Haley wasn't the most comfortable when it came to trying new styles and while he loved her in just about everything, he also loved when she experimented.

Taking a step towards, he gently tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. "I love it. You look amazing."

She leaned into his touch, rubbing her cheek against the warm palm of his hand. "I—"

"It's about damn time," Tony interrupted them, popping up from behind Haley. "I was starting to wonder when the hell you were gonna show up. I practically had to drag ol' lover boy here by the ear. He kept whining all night—'I have to call Haley. I miss my wife' _blah, blah, blah_."

Haley laughed loudly at Tony's high-pitched impersonation on Nathan. Glancing over at Nathan, she winked cutely at him. Her smile was beaming and it made Nathan's heart skip a beat.

Choosing to ignore Tony's teasing, he asked, "so, you did know about this?"

"Maaan, who did you think I was texting every five minutes when we first got here?"

"Your mom?" Nathan offered up with a shrug.

Tony swatted his hand towards Nathan and shook his head. "I get no love from you, ever."

Nathan chuckled and stuffed his free hand in his pocket. "In all seriousness, thank you, Tony. It means a lot to me."

"I always got your back. Now, let's get that wife of yours a drink."

~x~

A couple of beers and glasses of wine later, Nathan and Haley were well on their way to being drunk. Tony left them a while ago, claiming a head ache, but they both saw the girl that tagged along with him.

Haley was curled on Nathan's lap. One of her arms was banded around his neck, while one of his was secured around her waist and the other one was resting over her bare thighs. Most of their night was spent talking about everything under the sun. They shared heart-filled laughs, mixed in with dirty kisses and discreet touching.

Neither one could remember when they'd had a night like this, one that was so carefree and fun. It was hard when they both had careers and a son to look after. But when they did have a chance to have a night out, they made the best of it.

"Dance with me," Haley murmured, running her fingers through the short hairs on the nape of his neck. Her eyes were sitting low and her cheeks were flushed, two of the biggest signs that she was a little intoxicated.

Surprisingly, Nathan didn't put up a fight. He hated dancing and wasn't all that skilled at it. Usually, Haley had to beg him for a while, until he finally gave in. This time, he was so enamored by seeing Haley again that he would have sky dived if she asked him to. Or maybe it was the alcohol slushing through his veins that had him dropping his guard.

Haley led him to the crowded dance floor and picked a spot in a dark corner. Turning around, she placed Nathan's hands on her hips and sighed contently when Nathan's chest pressed against her back. The tempo of the song was fast and her hips easily fell into the rhythm of the song.

Nathan groaned quietly as she began to move against him. Every curve of her body was melded into his. The simmer of desire that had started forming from the moment he laid eyes on her had started to boil over. Being this close to her again after two weeks, which might not seem like a long time to some people, was like a sensory overload to him.

He felt like a teenager again, being grinded against for the time. But that's how everything always felt when it came to Haley—like it was the first time.

The feel of her warm and velvety skin beneath his fingertips, the smell of her sweet perfume, and the soft whispers of his name were intoxicating, furthering his buzz. The last time they made love was right before he left, and while phone sex was a pretty regular thing for them, it wasn't enough to sate him. Having a wife as sexy as Haley and not being able to touch her for extended periods of time was torture.

"You look so fucking sexy in this dress," Nathan grunted in her ear, pressing a kiss to the corner of her jaw.

Haley giggled and angled her body just enough to glance back at him. "Just in this dress?" She teased, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow.

Nathan circled his arms around her waist and squeezed her lightly to him. "You look sexy in anything and everything."

"Just wait until you see what I'm wearing under this dress." Haley purred, pressing her lips together in a seductive smirk.

Nathan's breathing became shallow as he dropped his head into the crook of her neck. "You're going to be the death of me one day, Haley James."

Haley's innocent giggle had his jaw clicking. On the outside, she could be so virtuous, but Nathan knew just how much of a vixen she could really be. Her pretty mouth had done and said some pretty dirty things. Damn, did he love that side of her.

Sliding one of his hands down her hips and under the taut material of her dress, he teased the delicate skin of her inner thigh. He almost swallowed his tongue when she gripped his hand, and slipped it higher. He could feel how wet she already was through the lace of her underwear. He rubbed his fingers against her slowly, just enough to make her squirm and heighten her arousal.

"God, Nathan," She mewled. She wrapped her fingers around his wrist and dug her short nails into his skin.

He swept his fingers just beneath the elastic band and her body twitched. "How badly do you want me, baby? Huh? Want my fingers inside of you?"

"Please, Nathan," She begged, still squirming around, desperate for some kind of friction.

"Please, what?"

"Put your fingers inside of me."

He quickly glanced around the bar and luckily, no one seemed to be paying attention to them. Doing as she requested, he slowly slid two fingers inside of her. His eyes crossed at how wet and tight she was. He was so turned on, his erection straining painfully against the zipper in his jeans.

He kept his pace steady and slow. A smirk remained plastered on his face as he watched Haley desperately clawing at her bottom lip with her teeth. She was trying to stifle her moans, but was desperately failing.

It only took a couple more thrusts of his fingers before she started tightening around him. Her body trembling.

"Oh, fuck, I'm coming," Haley panted, increasing the strength of her grip on around his wrist. She swiftly pushed his hand away from her as she rode out the waves of her orgasm.

"It's okay, I got you."

A few moments passed before Haley calmed down and her body slumped against his. Nathan's hands gripped her waist hard. Bending his head, he dropped wet kisses along the side of her throat, the edge of her jaw, and up to the shell of her ear. "I want you right here, right now."

Haley titled her head back, giving him better access to her neck. She moaned softly and involuntarily pressed her body harder into his. "Nathan…"

"It's so dark in here and there are so many people," He rasped into her ear. "It would be so easy for me to hike up your dress, unzip my jeans, and take you right here."

Her moan was only loud enough for Nathan to hear, the loud music drowning it out. Twisting in his arms, she wrapped her arms his neck and kissed him hard. She yanked on the strands of his hair as she pulled away. Her eyes glazed over. "I think it's time we get out of here."

~x~

Before the door of the, thankfully, empty elevator fully closed, Nathan had Haley pinned against the wall. Their lips were sandwiched together in a passionate and sloppy kiss. Teeth clanged together as tongues explored sensitive crevices. Their heavy pants and loud moans bounced off the walls of the small elevator, covering up the sounds of the floors dinging by.

Haley hooked one of her legs over Nathan's hip and slid her fingers through the belt loops on his jeans. Smashing their bodies together, she rocked her hips into his and moaned hotly against his lips. Nathan's fingers were buried in her hair, delicately pulling on the strands.

"Fuck," Nathan panted as Haley bit his lower lip, sliding her teeth against the sensitive skin. He brushed their noses together and grabbed her hand, guiding it to the bulge in his jeans. "I've never been so hard before."

Haley whimpered at his words. Her eyes were hooded, their chocolate brown color darkening with lust. She rubbed her hand against him, enjoying the way he licked his lips in appreciation. "I can see that."

Just as he was leaning in to kiss her again, the elevator came to a stop and the doors skidded open. Lightly knocking his fist against the metal wall above her head, he pushed himself away from her and laced their fingers together.

Haley laughed musically as Nathan dragged her down the long hotel hallway. "Somebody's a little impatient."

Chuckling, Nathan glanced back at her and felt his heart swell at the blissful happiness radiating off her. Their life together hadn't been the easiest thing in the world. It was full of curve balls that really put wrenches in some of their plans. He cherished the moments where everything was just perfect.

"Always," Nathan said with a wink.

Finally, they reached his hotel room.

Nathan was just reaching into his pocket to retrieve his keycard when Haley pulled him towards her by the ends of his jacket. Her back collided with the closed door as she kissed him hungrily, scratching her nails against his scalp and down the back of his neck.

"Who's the impatient one, now?" Nathan mumbled against her lips.

Haley didn't answer. Instead, she brushed her lips over the sharp lines of his jaw and worked her way down his neck. Her small hands smoothed over the hard planes of his chest, massaging the muscles. His eyes fluttered and a series of sparks flew through his veins at her actions. He fumbled with the keycard, unable to find the slot.

"Hales," He said huskily. "I can't concentrate with doing that."

Haley pulled her lips away from his neck and kinked an eyebrow. "I thought you were a man of many talents."

Finally sliding the key into the door and pushing the door open, he wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Baby, we both know that I am."

They stumbled into the hotel room, laughing and clinging on to each other like their lives depended on it. Gravitating towards the bed, they kicked their shoes off and Nathan tore his leather jacket off, leaving him in his white t-shirt.

Reaching the edge of the bed, Haley turned around and brushed her hair out of the way, signally for Nathan to unzip her dress. He had other plans, though. Coming up behind her, he palmed her breasts roughly and nipped a path across her shoulder blade.

"What's my record for how many times I've made you come in one night?" Nathan murmured into her skin.

Haley tipped her head back and exhaled shakily. "F-five, I think."

"Think I can break that record tonight? I'm already one-for-one."

"Mm, I know you can."

Nathan slowly pulled the zipper of her dress down, kissing the newly exposed skin as he did. His lips brushed against the tiny goosebumps that had formed on her skin, smirking every time she inhaled sharply. Once the dress was completely unzipped, he pushed the fabric over shoulders and it fluttered to the floor.

His breath hitched in his throat when she turned around. She was left in only a black lace bra and underwear. The bra put her already ample breasts on even more of a display. The lace on the panties left little to the imagination. There was just something about this bra and pantie set that had his stomach tightening.

"Fuck, Hales," Nathan growled. His eyes raked over her body appreciatively. "You really are trying to kill me."

"Maybe," Haley teased, biting her lower lip. She pushed her hands beneath his shirt and tore it off his body. Her tongue snuck out of her mouth to wet her dry lips as she eyed his muscular chest. He'd always been in amazing shape, but being a professional basketball player had definitely been good to him.

She raked her nails down his skin, mesmerized by the way the muscles flexed and fluttered under her touch. Reaching the buckle of his belt, she stared at him through her eyelashes as she un-did. Pulling the leather straps through the belt loops, she tossed it to the side, before lowering the zipper. She yanked his jeans and boxers down. Once they were down far enough, Nathan kicked them completely off.

"Well, you got me naked, so what are you going to do with me?" Nathan joked lightly, licking his lips.

Smirking, she pressed her finger tips into his bare chest, and pushed him backwards until he fell on the bed. Nathan propped himself up on his elbows and stared at her with a kinked brow. Reaching behind her, she unclipped her bra and let the straps slide down her arms. Slowly and seductively, she pulled the garment from her body and let it float to the floor.

Watching her undress had Nathan aching even more for her. The salacious glint in her eyes and the provocative way she was biting her lip had a whole new wave of desire burning through him. When she finally pulled her underwear down her legs and tossed them to side, his heart gave a slow thump in his chest.

He'd seen his wife naked a thousand times, but she never failed to take his breath away. The moonlight seeping in through the window was dancing off her skin like glitter. The dark curls of her hair were tumbling over her shoulders, contrasting perfectly with her porcelain skin. His eyes then traveled to the curve of her stomach and down the round shape of her hips.

The way he looked at her sometimes…it could start a fire.

"So beautiful…," Nathan hummed, swallowing down the lump that had formed in his throat.

Haley winked at him seductively as she crawled on the bed and straddled his waist. Achingly and teasingly slow, she lowered herself on to him. Her name dripped off his lips in a lust filled whisper. There was no better feeling than being inside his wife. His hands flew to her hips and his eyes rolled in the back of his head when she began to rock her hips, clearly showing him no mercy.

"Oh, fuck, yes, Nathan," Haley cried out when he began lifting his hips off the bed.

Sitting up, his arms wrapped around her waist and his hands traveled the length of her back. He kissed her deeply, slipping his tongue between her parted lips. She moaned repeatedly against his mouth. Her hands were in his hair, pulling hard.

"I love the sounds you make when I'm inside of you," Nathan muttered. His lips were everywhere—the base of her throat, her collarbone, and the curve of her breasts. "Your moans drive me crazy."

"I've missed this, so much," Haley huffed. "I'm already so close."

"Shit, I know," Nathan hissed. He could tell by the way she was clenching around him and by the look in her eyes. He wasn't far behind her. "I am, too."

Haley grinded her hips against his harder. The thin layer of perspiration that had formed on their skin aided her movements. She gripped the back of his neck, opening her mouth over his. She nipped at his lips, smoothing over the bites with her tongue.

He was dangerously close to falling over the edge, but he needed her to come first. Pulling away from the kiss, he pressed his forehead to hers and grabbed her hips. He pounded their lower bodies together, angling his hips in just the right direction that he knew would send her over the edge.

"Come for me, baby."

His coaxing was her undoing. She screamed his name as her body shook from the intensity of her orgasm. He followed right behind her. Her name bubbled up his throat in a low groan. He fell back on the bed and Haley collapsed on top of him. They were both breathing heavily and their bodies were still buzzing with aftershocks.

"Fuck, that was amazing," Haley panted when she finally regained control of her voice. Sliding her body off of his, she collapsed next to him.

"Yeah," Nathan agreed, titling his head so he was facing her.

She reached over to put her earrings on the bed side table and the white sheet slid down her body, exposing her lower back. The moonlight streaming in from the window landed right on her "23" tattoo, illuminating it like a spotlight. Within seconds, he felt himself ready to go again. He always did have an impressive rebound rate.

That tattoo always got him. There'd been so many moments when her shirt would ride up, exposing the tattoo, as she was doing the most mundane tasks and he'd be rock hard almost instantly. It had this hold over him, kind of like she had a hold over his heart.

Haley was just starting to turn over when Nathan rolled back on top of her. Instinctively, her legs parted and he settled himself in between her thighs. Her nails pierced his back and a breathy moan escaped her lips when he rubbed himself against her smooth folds. Taking her hands in his, he pinned them above her head and her back arched off the bed.

"Almost eight years of marriage and I _still_ can't get enough of you," Nathan husked, thrusting his hips forward.

Haley gasped loudly as he suddenly entered her, her legs locking around his hips. "It should be a sin for something to feel this good."

"A sin I don't mind committing over and over again."

~x~

It felt like a herd of elephants were standing on his head and his body ached in all sorts of places. A warm body was pressed to his side and head of dark curls was resting on his bare chest. He smiled softly, trailing his fingers down the bare curve of her spine to the small of her back. She was such a good thing to wake up to and he'd missed waking up to her.

Seeing her last night was the last thing he had expected, but it had made the rest of his time away seem bearable. And it definitely made the raging hangover he was experiencing worth it.

He'd lost count of how many times they made love that night. Sometimes it was rough—nails scratching down his back, pleasurable screams, and frantic movements—kind of rough. Other times it was gentle and slow, blissful sighs and sweaty bodies gliding together. It was some of the best sex they've ever had, and they had a lot of good sex.

"Mmm, good morning," Haley purred groggily, stretching her limps. She giggled when she heard a few of her bones crack.

"Good morning," Nathan parroted back at her. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty damn good," Haley responded, running her fingers along the contours of his chest. "What about you?"

"I swear, I've never felt this good, wakin' up, hungover in a hotel room," Nathan said, squeezing Haley even closer to him. He could feel Haley smiling against his skin. "I still can't believe you flew all the way to Chicago just to surprise me."

Haley sat up slightly so she could see him more clearly. "Of course, I did. And might I add, last night totally made getting stuck next to a guy who smelled like fish and sweat on the flight up here worth it."

Nathan tipped his head back and laughed. "Well, I did set a new record last night."

Haley giggled, despite the roll of her eyes. "One of these days I'm gonna knock you off that sexual pedestal."

"Hmm, you can try, but you know I'm just too good."

"I guess you're right," Haley mumbled. "I wish I could get on that plane with you to New York."

Nathan's heart sunk at the sullen tone of Haley's voice. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. "I know, baby. Me, too. But, listen, I only have a few more games and then I'll be home for a while."

A bright smile spread across Haley's face. "That just made my heart race."

Nathan returned the smile and caressed her cheek. "Mine, too."

A few seconds later, his smile faded.

"I'm sorry, Haley."

She shot him a confused look. "For what?"

"For being gone all the time," Nathan sighed. "I'm on the road for half the year and—"

She pressed her finger to his lips, cutting him off. "Nope, don't even go there. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"Hales…"

"I'm serious, Nathan. I'm so proud of you. You had a dream and you made it come true. And every time I watch you play and I see that intense look on your face or that smile…it makes it all worth it for me," Haley said with conviction, rubbing her hand against his cheek.

"God, I love you," Nathan declared, swooping in to kiss her passionately. She always knew just the right things to say to make him feel at ease.

"I love you, too," Haley declared after they pulled apart. "Now, I have a couple hours before my flight and I need to shower. Care to join me?"

Nathan smirked. "You don't even ask to ask."


End file.
